1956

The fellow above is one Imre Nagy, born this day 1896 in Kaposvar, Austria-Hungary. Born into a peasant family, he apprenticed to a locksmith before he joined the army in 1915. He was duly shipped off to the Eastern Front, where he was taken prisoner, had a change of religion and became a Communist. Later, upon his return to Hungary, there was a rumour or three that he was secretly a NKVD agent, and was spying upon his fellow party members for the Russians. These were probably true, but for the most part it was common practice among communists eager to prove their loyalty. He eventually made it to be prime minister of Hungary from 1953-1955, during which he promoted his idea of "New Course" in Socialism. Soviet Russia was not interested in one of its satellite states going off on any sort of new course, and Nagy fell out of favour with the powers that be in Moscow. In 1955 he was shit canned as Prime Minister, stripped of his Central Committee status, and relieved of all other party functions. Change was coming in Hungary, and the 1956 revolution was Hungary's big chance to get rid of the Soviet yolk. By popular demand, Nagy again became Prime Minister, but the Soviet tanks were on the way, and the revolution was eventually crushed. Nagy took refuge in the Yugoslav embassy, but despite a free pass issued to him, he was arrested when he tried to left the embassy. He was secretly tried, and found guilty of treason, and hanged in June, 1958 as a "lesson to all other leaders in socialist countries," the lesson taught by Mother Russia. Lesson learned the hard way, but for having the courage of his convictions, and attempting to stand up to his Russian masters, Imre Nagy (June 7th,1896-June 16th, 1958, at the age of 62 by hanging), you are my (285th) hero of the day.